If you want to force a complete gel, you can preheat your wooden mold in your oven at 170 degrees, pour your soap, and then put it back in the oven and turn it off. If you want to inhibit gel, put it in the fridge. With gel, your soap will become darker and more translucent. Without it will be lighter and more creamy/opaque looking. Gel accelerates the saponification process somewhat so you are less likely to have lye zap after 24-48 hours. But both methods will cure out into nice soap. For most soapers, it boils down to an aesthetic preference one way or the other. Also if you use cavity molds, you are less likely to get a full gel so some soapers find it best to inhibit the process all together by chilling their poured soap mixture.
And IMHO, I've learned more refinements about soap making here than I have in any book and I've read a lot of them. This forum is great!
